Container for inflammable liquids



- Sept. 29, 1953 A. E. KANODE ETAL 5 35 CONTAINER FOR INFLAMMABLBLIQUIDS F iled Oct. 7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Sept. 29, 1953KANODE r 2,653,541

CONTAINER FOR INFLAMMABLE LIQUIDS Filed Oct. 7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS Patented Sept. 29, 1953 @NETE STATES PATENT GFFHE CONTAINERFOR INFLAMMABLE LIQUIDS ration of Maryland Application October 7, 1949,Serial N 0. 120,027

2 Claims.

This invention relates to fire bombs and more particularly to thefeatures of construction of such bombs for use on high performancefighter airplanes.

The externally mounted containers for inflammable liquids that may beused as fire bombs on an aircraft of the type mentioned above, must havecertain qualifications alien to the ordinary design. It is necessary tomount the bomb exteriorly, usually under the main wing structure,because of the limited space available in the fuselage; thus, theexposed bomb must be capable of withstanding the forces to which it issubjected by the conditions of high speed iiight. Monocoque constructionof conventional fire bombs will not permit those desirable qualities,mentioned herebelow, to be incorporated into the design, whereas thefire bomb of this invention offers a novel solution to the problem,representing the ultimate in simplicity of design and strength.

A conventional fire bomb with its conventional features of constructionwould be totally unsatisfactory with respect to weight if it weredesigned to be externally mounted and used in the manner describedabove. it may be further pointed out that excessive wei ht is not theonly disadvantage of this type of construction. The spasmodic anderratic detonation of the conventional bomb is in a large part due toits design features concerning ignitor location and operation. Also,storage and shipping of this type fire bomb is made difficult becausethe shape of its component parts prevents compact packaging. It is alaborious job to assemble a fire bomb featuring the conventional design,thus requiring too much time, and even then the parts are very apt to bebent out of hape or otherwise made useless by distortion of the tappedholes, etc.

It is an object of this invention to provide a lightweight, low cost,dependable fire bomb which may be assembled with a minimum of time andeffort.

Another object of this invention is to facilitate storage and crating bydesigning the component parts so that they may be telescoped into acompact package.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bomb capable ofwithstanding high speed flight when exteriorly mounted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fire bomb which may bereadily formed without requiring special fabricating machinery.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bomb which may beused with existing installations and conform in other respects toconventional bombing equipment, and techniques.

Further and other objects will become apparent from the accompanyingdescription and drawings which form a part of this disclosure and inwhich like numerals refer to like parts.

Figure 1 is a View of the assembled bomb.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the bomb.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View of the end assembly through thetip portion of the bomb.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the arrangement formaking a fluid-tight joint between sections.

Figure 5 shows two complete bombs, unassembled and crated.

The fire bomb pictured in Figure 1 can best be described by referring toFigures 2, 3 and l. The cylindrical center section l and the two conicalend sections designated as nose section 2 and tail section 3, aresecured together by a tie rod l. Removable reinforcing panels 5 aresecured to center section I. Supporting lugs 5 are mounted on centersection I. Filler caps 7 cover openings in nose section 2 and tailsection 3. At the outer end of the end sections 2 and 3, an ignitor 8,shown in Figure 1, is secured to the bomb by tie rod 4, through ignitorbase Hi. Transparent plastic fairing caps 9 are attached to ignitor baseit) covering ignitors 8.

Conical end section 2 or 3 is built up from two identically formedsheets making up the top and bottom halves; their shapes being developedfrom 50% of the leading edge of the symmetrical airfoil, N. A. C. A.663-.020. A pressed bulkhead i3 is seam-welded to the two sheets at thesmall end of the cone section. A large ring is which holds annular ringgasket 52 also is seam-welded to the opposite or base end of the twosheets. Ring I6 is formed with a bevel facing generally inwardly of thesection for seating gasket 42. The lapped edges of the upper and lowersheets are seam-welded.

Center section I is a cylinder consisting of one rolled sheet with alapped edge. Identical rings I! are resistance seam-welded to the endsof the cylindrically formed sheet with an extension provided thereon toallow reinforcing panels 5 to be mounted. Rings ii are provided with anL-shaped seat facing generally outwardly of said section for seatinggasket l2. The lapped edges of the sheet are seam-we1ded and a swaybrace reinforcing sheet 18 is added to the inside surface of thecylinder by spot Welding. Supporting lugs 6 are then seamed to thereinforced surface providing means by which the bomb is mounted.

This bomb or container must be fluid tight and to accomplish this,resilient annular or O-ring gaskets II and I2 are employed as shown inFigures 2 and 3. After arranging sections l, 2, and 3 in an assemblingposition and seating annular ring gaskets I l and [2 between rings I!and I6, which are welded to said sections as described previously,and-between-bulkheads l3 and beveled lit/21811611514, the sections areready ;to be drawn tightly together. Tie rod 4 extends through a beveledwasher [4, through annular ring gasket ll, through an opening bulkheadl3 and continues on until it emerges at the opposite end of the bombthrough an identical seal:- ing arrangement. An ordinarynut vI 5 thenscrews over the threaded ends of tie rod 4; securin sec,- tions I, 2,and 3 and effecting a seal at all joints. Tie rod 4 extends beyond nut i5 to proyide a mount for ignitor B. The transparent plastic fair- 4concave inwardly thereof, said sections being provided with annularseating rings circumferentially attached to the open ends thereof, andannular ring gaskets placed therebetween for providing a fluid-tightseal between said sections, a tie rod erg tending axially through saidsections and said. bulk-heads, annular sealing ring gaskets and washershaving compound bevels formed thereon fitting around said tie rodoutwardly of said bulkheads, saidcompound bevels mating the surfaces ofsaid bulkheads and said sealing ring gaskets, nuts threadedly engagingsaid tie rod for sectiring said sections and said seals in fluidtishtrelationship, said container being provided with supporting. lugsattached thereon, openings fprmed in said container for filling, closuremeans for said openings when filled, and removable caps ing cap 9 shownin Figure 2 is fastened to the ignitor base H! to protect ignitor 8 fromexternal forces. Permanently attached arming wire housings 23 are weldedto the inside wall of end sections 2 and 3 extending therethrough toring l6. Arming wires 24 and 25 extending through housings 23 provide ameans for detaching cap 9 and for arming the bomb when the bomb isreleased. Cap 9 is held on one end by arming wire clip l9 and on theother end by a supporting stud with a spring release 28. When armingwire clip i9 is detached by pulling arming wire 24 therefrom, cap 9 isejected by spring release 2| allowing air to contact the small blades 22on ignitor 8. Simultaneously with the release of cap 9, arming wire ispulled loose from ignitor 8 permitting blades 22 to rotate.

The advantages of this fire bomb are eyidenced in the cylindrical andconical sections by virtue of their features of construction andassembly. The end sections are identical and are interchangeable. Thecylindrical center section makes it possible to use a longer centersection in the event more volume is desired. ,Filler caps in both endsections allow filling if'desired, or a choice of the more convenientposition for single filling. There are no raw. edges of sheet metal toinjure personnel or become bent out of shape before assembly. There areno- 'tapped holes to become clogged or burred to causeldelay andscrappage. The bomb may be suspended from either end forward usingexisting installations and conforming in other respects to conventionalbombing equipment and techniques. Unass'eme bled, these bombs may becrated in pairs in a suitable crate 26, shown in dash lines in Figure.

5, for storage or shipping in a minimum of space,

attached adjacent the end sections for reducing drag.

2.A fire bomb structure comprising a nose section, a center section anda tail section, said center section being substantially cylindrical,said nose and tail sections being substantially circular incross-section with substantially conical exterior surfaces, bulkheadsformed at the small ends of said end sections being concave inwardlythereof, annular rings forming the open ends of said sections, saidannular rings on said end sections having beveled surfaces facinggenerally inwardly of said sections, and said annular rings on saidcenter section having l .-shaped seats facing generally outwardly ofsaid sections, annular ring gaskets interposed between said annularrings being held tightly therebetween, a tie rod extending axiallythrough said sections and said bulkheads, annular sealing ring basketsand washers having compound bevels formed thereon fitting around saidtie rod outwardly of said bulkheads, said compound bevels mating thesurfaces of said bulkheads and said sealing ring gaskets, nutsthreadedly engaging said tie rod for securing said sections and saidseals in fluid.- tight relationship, reinforcing panels fastened to saidannular rings within said center section, said container havingsupporting lugs attached thereon, openings formed in said container forcharging, closure means for said openings when charged, means fordetonating said charge attached to said tie rod adjacent the endthereof, a removable cap protecting said detonating means.

ALBERT E". KANODE. CARROLL I-I. MATSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS g eaBr ta n F b- 2i. 1.9 0

